Jersey City Facts and Landmarks

Jersey City Medical Center EMS serves as the primary EMS agency for the
City of Jersey City, as well as the primary ALS provider for greater Hudson County.

Jersey City is widely recognized as a major American city, and is the third
largest city in the New York Metropolitan area, behind New York City and
Newark. It, as well as the surrounding communities of Hudson County is
often referred to as the "Sixth Borough" of New York City due
to its proximity, density, and level of urban infrastructure that so closely
resembles the City of New York. In fact, Hudson County contains the 4
most densely populated incorporated places, in the United States, well
above that of New York City. Jersey City is a growing city, growing nearly
5% between the 1990 and 2000 census. This is the result of a new renaissance
for Jersey City, after years of decline. In recent decades, Jersey City
and Hudson County has seen a significant influx of residents and businesses
seeking refuge from the congestion and high cost of living in Manhattan.
Jersey City and Hudson County are also some of the most diverse areas
in the country and growing continually so. As of the 2000 census, less
than 35% of the population was identified as Caucasian.

Jersey City is unique in that it has one of the most comprehensive transit
and transportation systems in the country. It is the home of the Port
Authority PATH Subway System, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System, public
and private bus lines, The NY Waterway Ferries, the New Jersey Turnpike
Extension, the Pulaski Skyway, and the Holland Tunnel to New York City.
Surrounding Hudson County is also home to numerous additional transportation
options. Hoboken Terminal, located just over the city line is the busiest
transit center in New Jersey serving over 50,000 riders daily between
commuter rail, light rail, subway, bus, and ferry passengers. Hudson County
is also home to additional Port Authority PATH Subway, Hudson-Bergen Light
Rail, and NY Waterway Ferry stops. It is also home to the Lincoln Tunnel
to New York, the Secaucus Junction Commuter Station, the Bayonne Cruise
Ship Terminal, and portions of the New Jersey Turnpike.

Facts about Jersey City and Hudson County:

Jersey City

Hudson County

Population

242,503

608,975

Land Area

14.9mi2

47mi2

Density

16,046/mi2

13,044/mi2

It's proximity to New York City has helped develop Jersey City into a hub
of commerce, industry, and residential development. Jersey City is home
to the tallest buildings in New Jersey, including the Goldman Sachs tower,
which tops out at 781ft tall. The Newport-Pavonia Neighborhood is one
of the most successfully planned communities in the country, with extensive
shopping, entertainment, and high-rise residential development. Meanwhile,
industry is alive and well in the city. Port Jersey is a major international
port that lies on the Jersey City-Bayonne city lines. Further south in
Bayonne lies the International Matex-Tank Terminal, another major port facility.

Probably the most recognized features of Jersey City are its historical
points of interest. Jersey City is home to Liberty Island National Park,
including the Ellis Island Immigration Station, while The Statue of Liberty
is completely surrounded by the City of Jersey City. Both monuments are
easily accessible from ferries departing from the nearby Communipaw Terminal
in Liberty State Park. Just across the street from the terminal lies the
famous Liberty Science Center. Downtown is home to the Historic Hudson
Tubes Powerhouse, while in the center of the city lies the historic former
campus of the Jersey City Medical Center – Our old home!

Notable Points of Interest:

Statue
of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, an exclave of the City
of New York, completely within the City of Jersey City. Liberty Island
is located a mere 2000 feet off of the shores of Jersey City's Liberty
State Park. Jersey City Medical Center EMS works closely with the US Park
Police to assist with transportation of the sick and injured. The US Park
Police EMS Division utilizes the Jersey City Medical Center EMS Medical
Director to provide oversight of emergency medical care on the island.

Ellis Island

Ellis Island, a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, is an
immigration museum located just a few hundred feet off the shores of Jersey
City. During the turn of the century, Ellis Island processed millions
of European immigrants looking for a new life in the United States between
1892 and 1954. In 1965, the Island became a part of the Statue of Liberty
National Monument, and has been undergoing restoration ever since. Since
the 1990's, the island has been connected to Liberty State Park by a bridge;
however, the bridge is restricted to official vehicles only. Jersey City
Medical Center EMS frequently responds onto the island to assist the US
Park Police in transportation of the sick and injured.

Liberty State Park

Liberty State Park is a large, 1.2 acre park located in Jersey City along
the shores of the Hudson River. It's ferry terminal is the gateway to
the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The Park is situated on landfill
that was formerly part of the rail yards of the Central Railroad of New
Jersey. Today, in addition to its access to Ellis Island and the Statue
of Liberty, the park is home to vast tracts of open land for recreation,
as well as a prime venue for major outdoor events. In the past, Liberty
State Park has been home to Cirque de Soleil, the All Points West Music
Festival, and most recently, the Red Bull Air Race.

Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center is a regionally renowned interactive science Museum
located within Liberty State Park. It is home to the largest domed IMAX
theater in the United States.

Communipaw Terminal

Communipaw Terminal is a historic rail and ferry terminal located in Liberty
State Park. It operated as the main terminal of the Central Railroad of
New Jersey from 1864 until 1967. New York bound passengers utilized the
terminal's ferry's to get to lower Manhattan. However, much of its fame
comes from its integration with the Ellis Island Immigration Station.
Over ten million immigrants used the terminal as their starting point
on their journey to a new life in the United States. Today, the terminal
is part of the Liberty State Park and serves as the ferry terminal for
tourists visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Goldman Sachs Tower

The Goldman Sachs tower, located in downtown Jersey City, is the tallest
building in New Jersey. At 781 feet tall, it towers far above any other
building in New Jersey and is the key cornerstone of the Exchange Place
financial district of Jersey City. Amongst the facilities surrounding
the building are a ferry terminal, helipad, and PATH station to New York City.

PATH Subway System

The Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Train system is a rapid transit
system linking Hudson County, NJ with New York City. The system operates
3 underground, independent subway lines between Jersey City, Hoboken,
and Lower Manhattan, and progresses above ground as it heads westbound
toward Newark, NJ. Four stations are located in Jersey City, while two
additional stops are located in adjacent Hudson County. One, line extends
outside the county to its final stop in neighboring Newark, NJ. When the
PATH System opened in 1908, it was one of the first subways in the United
States, and the first to transverse a major river. Today it carries over
74 million passengers annually, making it one of the busiest systems in
the nation, despite its limited number of stations.
[Photo by Derek Jensen (Tysto), 2004-May-18]

Holland Tunnel

The Holland Tunnel is a major American landmark. When built in 1927, it
was the only vehicular connection between New York and New Jersey. Its
entrances in downtown Jersey City and Lower Manhattan are reminiscent
of a bygone era before the advent of highways. Today, more than 34 million
vehicles transverse the Hudson River to and from New York City via the
Holland Tunnel every year.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail is a multi-billion dollar light rail system
in Hudson County. The system is a combination underground, street level,
and above ground trolley system. First opened in 2000, it has since expanded
to thirteen stops in Jersey City, and an additional eleven stops in the
surrounding Hudson County municipalities. At its current development stage,
it runs north-south along the Hudson River, and serves over 10 million
riders annually.

The Former Jersey City Medical Center Complex

Located on the corner of Baldwin Avenue and Montgomery Street in the center
of Jersey City, the former Jersey City Medical Center Complex, now known
as "The Beacon" was the third largest healthcare facilities
in the world when it was building during the Great Depression. Built in
an art deco style, with a grand entrance, marble walls and terrazzo floors,
it towered high above Jersey City. From the time it was constructed in
1931, through the development of the downtown high rises in 1989, the
buildings remained the tallest in the city. At its peak, the medical center
consisted of 5 enormous structures ranging from 15 to 23 stories tall,
including the landmark Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital that was the
birthplace of over 350,000 Jersey City residents. Today, after the relocation
of the medical center downtown, the site is being rehabilitated in to
a mixed-used residential community. The developers are meticulously renovating
the buildings for use as luxury condominiums.

Newport-Pavonia

Newport is a multi-million dollar mixed-used planned development in the
heart of downtown Jersey City, including over nine-thousand units of housing,
and over five million square feet of commercial space. The development
includes a variety of transit options including, subway, light rail, and
ferry access to New York City.

Port Jersey

Port Jersey is an intermodal freight facility located on the border of
Jersey City and neighboring Bayonne.

Pulaski Skyway

The Pulaski skyway is one of the oldest superhighways in the country, opening
in 1932. The highway carries traffic on an elevated deck from Newark,
NJ to Jersey City,NJ and the Holland Tunnel to New York. Given its age,
it is one of few remaining superhighways without a breakdown lane for
its entire 3.5 mile length, and few exit and entrance ramps. Its narrow
size is reminiscent of its age, with only a single concrete divider separating
lanes of traffic.

Surrounding Hudson County:

Lincoln Tunnel

The Lincoln Tunnel was the second Hudson River crossing built to link Manhattan
and Hudson County. In contrast to the Holland Tunnel, the Lincoln tunnel
was designed to handle larger vehicles, and is the only tunnel directly
linked to a highway. Its three tubes carry more than 40 million vehicles
a year from Weehawken on the New Jersey side, to 34th Street in Manhattan.

Cape Liberty Cruise Port

Cape Liberty Cruise Port is a passenger vessel port located in Bayonne,
NJ. It is the embarkment point for several major cruise lines to the Caribbean.
Since opening in 2004, more than 300,000 cruise passengers have passed
through its gates.

Port Imperial

Port Imperial is a mix-used development including an intermodal transit
center located in Weehawken, NJ. It is a rapidly developing residential
community, and is home to both a Light Rail station and NY Waterway Ferry
Terminal. It is well-known for its use during the Crash of Flight 1549
as the evacuation point for patients on the New Jersey side of the river.